"A "hippie" club in Columbus, Georgia during the late '60s and early '70s. It was owned and operated by Buddy Cunningham and Robert (Bob) Piper.
Arnold Bean was functionally the house band, although Mosaic Sunshine and other bands also performed there regularly.
Columbus, Georgia is next to Ft. Benning, so many of the young people who were regulars at the Toadstool were children of men serving in Viet Nam.
This created a unique atmosphere where people were participating in a culture against the war, but at the same time feeling family loyalties to people serving in the war."
back wall of the TOADSTOOL
after the building was torn down
cover of SUNDAY MAGAZINE
LEDGER ENQUIRER
with article about
TOADSTOOL
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Quoted from JAY VAQUER's bio website
"1968-Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and Cream, were the major musical
influences of Jay's new band called FANE with Manfred Rackow on bass
and Steve Swenson on drums. By now, the underground hits of yesterday
were becoming today's hits and this band worked a lot of night club
dates for dancing until they helped construct The Electric Toadstool,
a psychedelic night club. Fane would walk in at nine o'clock and play
Crossroads for 45 minutes, and then take a break. Improvisation with
a power trio was nearly a religious experience when the crowd and
musicians linked into the same trip. Jay wanted to take the band to
California but they were full time students and if they dropped out of
college, or failed , they would be sent to the war.
1969-Jane Duboc came to the USA from Brazil for Jay's sister Gloria's
wedding to Manfred Rackow . Jane and Jay get married at the Russell
County courthouse. After changing his major a few times, Jay is in his
senior year of college and Vietnam is on the horizon. Jay's musical
tastes shift more towards the Allman Brothers, Brian Auger and heavy
jazz fusion. Jane becomes the vocalist in FANE and John Aiken is added
on Hammond Organ. This group became an immediate success at the
officer's club and played mainly at Fort Benning."
Anyway, you can follow the whole weird story at Jay's website:
http://www.jayvaquer.com/bio1.html
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